New Treatment (Bronchial Thermoplasty)

[Minushabens]

This story is on the BBC this morning. I've not heard of it before but it sounds intriguing for the most severe asthmatics. Has anyone come across it, or even been part of the trials?

bbc.co.uk/news/health-45359343

[risabel59]

I was on a trial for this in 2006. I didn’t get the treatment. Although the guys who ran the trial said I would be eligible if I wanted it when it was approved. For some people this treatment has been a game changer. You have to have 3 bronchoscopies. I was pretty unwell after them.

My current consultant is not very keen on the treatment. He thought it was good that I didn’t actually get the treatment. However I do know people who think it is a fantastic treatment. I think that one problem is that no one knows what the long term outlook is for people who have this treatment is. Ie will the smooth muscle grow back. The treatment is irreversible so there is no going back after you have it.

However the NHS has said they will only provide this for Severe Asthma, so if it can improve the lives of people who are completely incapacitated by Asthma then it’s got to be good.

Best

R x

[Minushabens in reply to risabel59]

Thanks Risabel. That’s a really interesting angle on it. I read the article & thought “miracle” but might do a bit more digging before I mention it to the consultant!

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

A friend with very severe asthma who didn't get on with biologics is having it so I looked into it a bit. She found it hard to find much about it beforehand - I think they first used it about 5 years ago so there are some longish term data but not that long of course. It does seem to make you worse just after and can take a while to work which may be why cons don't like it. However they seem to use it more widely in the US and I belong to a mainly US asthma group on FB (someone added me) where several people have had good results.

Have to admit I might be tempted given my asthma is being a pain and I'm not eligible for any of the current drugs as I have non-eosinophilic and non-allergic asthma. I do go to a specialist centre but they have never mentioned it - maybe they don't like it. Or just don't see me as eligible.

[Mogget]

There's an interesting video about the procedure at the bottom of this page: rbht.nhs.uk/patients/condit...

[Mogget in reply to Mogget]

And a comment about the procedure potentially being of benefit for mild/moderate asthma too...

[Matman]

My impression is that it’s a last resort treatment for those with severe asthma who are desperate. My inner cynic thinks it may also be cheaper than Biologicals (when the latter are given over a long period) and I wonder about NHS Cost Saving Motives with this new decision to open this treatment to more people. Although I’m not on Biologics at present (I declined them) I think - if it came to it - I’d opt to try them first. Also, Bronchosopies carry risks so, if you need three of them first (as someone else said above) then that in itself is something of a turn-off. (Google Bronchoscopy Risk).